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A Home Office post mortem, performed by Brian Rogers, listed the official cause of death as cor pulmonale and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

A judicial inquiry into the child killer's death is being held by Senior Coroner for Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens, Christopher Sumner.

Coroner Sumner opened and adjourned the inquest within 20 minutes, refusing to release the body until he can be assured that a funeral director and crematorium willing to deal with the child killer have been found.

The inquest revealed Ian Brady was a long-term patient at Ashworth Hospital.

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It heard his physical health deteriorated over the last year and "quite profoundly" over last two weeks, the Visiter reports.

Brady had been on intermittent hunger strike since 1999 and was being fed with a nasal tube before he removed it on May 11 this year.

Coroner Sumner has ordered a full report into Brady's health - both physical and mental - as well as complete information on his palliative care and the circumstances surrounding his nasal tube feeding.

He will then be able to determine whether Brady's act of removing his tubes on May 11 contributed to his death or shortened his life.

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Dr Thomas said Brady did not wish to be resuscitated in the case of cardiac arrest.

Brady has no known relatives, the inquest heard, and the circumstances around his death are not believed to be suspicious.

Coroner Sumner said "emotions are high" around Brady's death, in the Manchester area especially.

"I have no legal means of making that [assurances in regards to Brady's funeral] an order but I believe it is right and proper, the correct moral judgement to make," he said.

Myra Hindley and Ian Brady were both jailed for life (Image: PA)

An application has been made for an interim death certificate.

Coroner Sumner adjourned the inquest until June 29, when he will review the full reports requested in today's opening.

It also emerged today that Brady told a penpal of his funeral wishes.

The letter was written to Cody Lachey, 33, from Manchester, who had spent three years corresponding with evil Brady.

Lachey, who has spent time in prison, had offered to provide security at the funeral.

Brady suggested in his reply that his funeral service would be an ‘event’ attended by his ‘associates’.

He stated: “I’ll be cremated in Glasgow etc. Your kind offer to provide certain services at the event, with associates etc, that would be perfectly acceptable and prudent in the historically, hysterical and exploitative circumstances. Thanks!!”

Lachey told the Manchester Evening News he never intended to provide any funeral services and was just attempting to get information from Brady about his crimes.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Brady tortured and murdered five children before burying them on Saddleworth Moor in the 1960s.

He tape-recorded one of his victims, Lesley Ann Downey, pleading for her life before killing her.

He and his partner Myra Hindley, who died in prison in 2002, were jailed for life in 1966.

Brady was moved to Ashworth in 1985 as he was considered insane.

The last moments of Brady's life as he lay on his death bed were revealed by his lawyer who visited him yesterday afternoon - two hours before he died.

Robin Makin, who is also the executor of the child killer's will, said the visit was "I suppose quite a moving situation".

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But he said he had no information that would help the family of murdered 12-year-old schoolboy Keith Bennett find out what happened to his body.

"When he was able to speak he spoke to me - we discussed a few things but not as extensively as on previous occasions," Mr Makin said.

"He wanted to make sure that his legal and preparatory wishes were going to be fulfilled by me."

He said that these discussions included Brady's "disposal arrangements and sorting out his affairs" - but he refused to go into detail as to what these were, other than to say they were "for his funeral and that sort of thing".